Here are photos from a) March 2008, before braces; b) August 2009 with them and c) this weekend – no braces!

(Click on the photos for somewhat larger versions, or go to flickr and click ‘All sizes’ above a photo to see the largest available)

I’ve been doing some programming recently which has reminded me how black or white computer code is. When it’s correctly written it always works. If it’s just one character off it will (maddeningly) entirely fail to run. And yes, I’ve been reminded of the latter this week!

When I became a Christian I joined a Christian tradition with black or white at its core:

• There are two eternal destinies: heaven (perfect happiness) or hell (unending conscious pain)
• Heaven is for perfect (100% sinless) people only
• Either God’s spirit indwells you or you aren’t a Christian at all

There’s a stark elegance about black and white on a piano. And as I mentioned, I know from (frustrating) experience that computer code is black and white.

Yet the more I thought about *people* the less it made sense to try to fit them into the black or white framework of the theology I’d been taught. How could it be possible that a simplistic divide of all humanity into perfect happiness or eternal torment is appropriate given the diverse complex spectrum across which human behavior (and motivation) lies?

And the black and white designation of, you either have God’s Spirit or you don’t, didn’t seem to fit the character and behavior I saw from people supposedly with or without. I saw no consistent pattern of people I was told had God’s Spirit behaving better than those I was told did not have it.

These observations helped break my theology. I’m glad, because although I was taught grace manifests through the black or white, it seems to me that (in that system) it’s only for the people who fall in the‘white’ category. I’d rather live in a world where simplistic dichotomies exist only inside machines and in stylized art, because that means there’s hope for everyone. Not just those on the right side of the dividing line.

Esther and Ben both appear very briefly in this video about the White House classical music workshops on Nov 4. The violinists are shown tuning at about 0:15 and 1:15; Esther is in the first shot and Ben is in the second.

White House ready to showcase classical music

Classical music will take center stage at the White House next week as First Lady Michelle Obama continues her musical series of educational workshops and evening performances. read more

Next Up, a Classical White House Night

Classical music will take center stage at the White House next week as First Lady Michelle Obama continues her musical series of educational workshops and evening performances. read more

Joshua Bell performs at the white house

Joshua Bell has been invited to perform at the White House Music Series created by First Lady Michelle Obama to celebrate the arts. The concert will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov on November 4th at 1:45 pm eastern and will air on SIRIUS XM Radio’s Symphony Hall channel, SIRIUS channel 80 and XM channel 78 over the following weekend. read more

Joshua Bell will be teaching the violin workshop and Ben and Esther’s violin teacher Michael Hining is one of eight across the country invited to bring eight students each. He invited Ben and Esther to be two of the eight and they said yes, so they’re off to Washington DC on Wednesday. They’re taking the first flight there and the last flight back, in and out in a day. I hope it will be an exciting, interesting experience for them!

On Off The Map’s home page, Jim Henderson writes

Otherlyness is the spiritual practice of noticing and serving others in ordinary ways. We believe Christians ought to be known for a way of living that is generous and intentionally otherly at its core.

When I’m around other people my attitude falls into one of three categories

1. I want something from you: meet my needs
2. I don’t want anything but I can’t give either: leave me alone
3. I’m available to give you something: how can I be otherly?

Attitude 2 is mostly when I’m in a hurry or my Crohn’s symptoms are bothering me.

The results of 1 and 3 still catch me off guard. 1 seems like a good way to increase my personal happiness. Yet it generally disappoints. It focuses me on my (perceived) needs which decreases my happiness. And it only works when the other person is having a no 3 day. Which is mostly outside my control.

3 seems like it will not meet any of my needs. How could it increase my happiness? Yet it generally does, because almost everyone responds well to ordinary attempts at otherlyness: a smile, eye contact, asking a question and really listening to the answer.

If they respond positively I feel like I accomplished one small yet worthwhile thing today. Which makes me a little happier, whatever else is going on in my life.

Off The Map’s focus on otherlyness is what drew me to it and why I’m a volunteer. Their upcoming Mirrors and Maps Conference will be fun, innovative and promote otherlyness, like everything else they do. Unfortunately I can’t attend this year because of a conflict. I’ll be relying on some of you to report back and tell me how it goes!